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Friday, December 28, 2012

Top 10 of 2012

We listen to music in search of an emotional connection. "Noah" (the fourth track on this album) seared through my heart a particularly apt moment. The rest of the album's soulful, gothic Americana is worth a listen, too.

Joyous jangle-pop from Athens, Georgia, The District Attorneys are following in a rich tradition while making their own definitive mark on college rock. Judging from their latest EP, we've got a lot to look forward to in 2013.

On this blog, it's pretty much a given that Lee Bains would end up on the list. Hurtling out of Alabama like a bat out of hell, it's impossible not to want to get up and dance to this album. Or drink. Or whatever your activity of choice is at a live concert. Because this album brings that energy to your eardrums.

A masterful debut album, We're From Here reflects the many subgenres of the new roots-rock movement. Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray are consummate musicians and songwriters -- it's hard to believe this is their debut album.

If you're surprised to see Sonia Tetlow on this list, you haven't been paying attention. To be honest, Own Way Home almost didn't make the list. But the thing about Sonia's music is that you have to work a little for it. You need to listen to it five or six times before it hits you in your gut. I re-listened to Own Way Home while cooking dinner to decide if it would make the cut-off. The next day, I woke up with "Hook/Line" stuck in my head. If you let it, this album will enter your bloodstream.

This was just one of those discoveries that reminds you why you love music. What can I say? With their whip-smart lyrics, bar-band raggedness, and '90s-throwback guitar hooks, The Sparklers captured my heart.

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In times of change, we turn to music. There is no denying that this election brought out the cracks in American society. There is no denying that there are entire segments of the population that do not know or understand each other. The best way to do so is by listening to each other. This blog stands against the racism, homophobia, transphobia, nationalism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, ableism, and normalizing of rape culture that was present in American society but is now normalized by Trump's campaign rhetoric. This blog commits to featuring the voices of LGBT and POC artists, even if and when that means straying outside of Americana. We want you to listen to everyone's voices.